White House leans on viral penguin meme as Trump renews push for Greenland

As US President Donald Trump renewed his long-standing push to acquire Greenland, the White House’s messaging took an unexpected turn, moving away from formal diplomatic channels and into internet meme culture.

Amid growing attention on Washington’s interest in the Arctic island, the White House shared a viral penguin-themed image online, drawing on a popular internet meme to underscore Trump’s focus on the strategically important territory. The post referenced the so-called “Nihilist Penguin”, a figure that has circulated online for years and has come to symbolise isolation and stubborn determination.

Trump, who has repeatedly floated the idea of acquiring Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory governed by Denmark, a NATO ally, has increasingly used unconventional methods to keep the issue in the public eye. The latest post featured an AI-generated image showing Trump walking alongside a penguin towards snow-covered mountains. The penguin is depicted holding a US flag, while the peaks in the background bear Greenland’s flag, accompanied by the caption “Embrace the Penguin”.

The meme draws its origins from a scene in Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary Encounters at the End of the World. The footage shows a lone Adélie penguin breaking away from its colony and heading inland across the Antarctic ice.

Over time, the clip gained traction online, evolving into various iterations known as the “Nihilist Penguin”, “Lonely Penguin” or “Wandering Penguin”.

The penguin post follows another AI-generated image recently shared by Trump, depicting himself alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio standing next to an American flag and a sign declaring Greenland a US territory. The marker in the image reads: “Greenland – US territory, est. 2026”, further fuelling speculation about the administration’s intentions.

Trump first raised the idea of buying Greenland soon after beginning his second term as president, reviving a proposal he had also floated during his earlier presidency. In recent weeks, tensions have escalated as he threatened to impose a 10 per cent tariff on eight European countries, including Denmark, adding an economic edge to what has traditionally been a diplomatic issue.

While Danish officials have repeatedly dismissed the notion of selling Greenland, the White House’s embrace of meme culture signals a shift in tone, one that blends geopolitics with viral imagery as Trump continues to press his case for a greater US presence in the Arctic.